[And He Walks With Me] Genesis 17
1-2 ninety-nine years old. It was now 24 years since Abram left Haran in response to God’s initial call (12:4), 13 since Ishmael was born (16:6). Abram had seen much of God’s initial promise (12:1-3) fulfilled, but he was still waiting for the child that would make him into a great nation.
God Almighty here is actually El-Shaddai, meaning “God, the Mountain One” and emphasizing God’s omnipotence and/or transcendance.[35] It could also refer to his absolute sovereignty over all creation.[36] This would become the typical name that God used to reveal himself to the patriarchs. It would also be prominent in Job.
Live in my presence (CSB) is more literally translated walk in my presence. See notes on 5:21-24 for what it meant to walk with God.
Be blameless emphasized Abram’s responsibility to live according to what he knew of God’s will. It is important to recognize that God had not yet revealed his laws, so being blameless was not contingent on completely understanding every bit of God’s character and command. We are called to live according to what we know. Subsequently, as our knowledge of God increases, the bar for blamelessness increases.
I will multiply you greatly reiterated the same promise Abram received on multiple occasions over the last 24 years (e.g., Gen 12:7; 13;15-16; 15:5; 16:10).
3 Even after 24 years of waiting, Abram fell facedown before the Lord in a position of absolute submission and reverence. The real test of faith is whether you can still worship God while you are waiting for him to realize the promise.
4-8 Here is the first name change in the Bible. By changing Abram’s name to Abraham, God again reinforced his promise. Abram means “the father is exalted,” emphasizing his nobility and aristocracy, but Abraham means “father of a multitude of nations,” emphasizing his many offspring.[37] By changing Abram’s name to Abraham, God was dramatically exercising his authority over Abram’s life and showing that he alone should define Abram’s identity and destiny.[38] This name change also suggested a key leadership principle in that, while we should never forget our past, we must not focus upon it. Instead, we must focus our attention on what is yet to come.
God now confirmed the details of his covenant with Abraham. Everything he had promised previously is reiterated.
9-14 Now, God expanded upon the covenant by commanding that every male in Abraham’s household, throughout all generations, be circumcised. This ritual and the resulting physical marking were to serve as a sign of the covenant. That is, it was a tangible reminder to Abraham and his descendants that they were committed to the Lord, and the Lord was committed and faithful to them.
15 Although both Sarai and Sarah were variants of the term meaning “princess,” the emphasis was a bit different. As with Abram’s name change in vs 5, this name change marked a change in perspective. Sarai apparently emphasized her noble heritage, but Sarah looked ahead to her noble descendants.[39]
16 I will give you a son by her marked a dramatic new clarification of God’s promise to Abraham. After years of infertility, Sarah would have a son.
17-18 Abraham’s response to God’s revealed plan is interesting. On the one hand, he fell facedown, indicating submission and reliance upon God. That is, his posture represented faith and worship. On the other hand, he laughed and wondered privately if such a thing was even possible. After all, Sarah was a ninety-year-old woman and well past child-bearing age. His response to God, If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!, was more of a plea. After 24 years of waiting, Abraham’s faith was understandably wavering. He still wanted to believe God’s promise, but he also recognized it was much easier to hope in what he already had. The problem was that Ishmael represented human plans and efforts, but human plans and efforts invariably fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Indeed, if God’s promise was fulfilled through Ishmael, then God would be unable to claim all of the glory because there was nothing extraordinary about Ishmael’s story.
19 God confirmed his promise that Sarah will bear you a son with another expansion of the revelation: you will name him Isaac. Somehow, picking a name for a child makes it much more tangible and real. Surely, this was a significant boost to Abraham’s wavering faith!
19-20 Just because God intended to confirm my covenant with Isaac rather than Ishmael did not mean that Ishmael was abandoned by God. Indeed, God promised to bless him and make him fruitful, etc. That is, he would be enabled to fulfill the original mandate for mankind. Additionally, he would father twelve tribal leaders and become a great nation as well. That is, even though Isaac was the blessed one, Ishmael’s progeny would in many ways mirror that of Isaac.
23-27 In the Bible, if something is repeated, it is important. In these verses, we see record of Abraham’s faithful obedience. God promised that Sarah would bear a child, and Abraham believed him. God also commanded that Abraham and every male member of his household be circumcised as a token of their faith. So, as daunting as that must have been, Abraham did it. Notice, however, that the phrase that is repeated here is on that very day. It appears in both vss 23 and 26, and it emphasized the fact that there was no hesitation or reluctance to Abraham’s obedience. There was no arguing or grumbling. Real faith should be characterized by a similar eagerness to obey, no matter how difficult the command. Indeed, 1 John 5:3 says, For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden. It is not that God’s commands are always easy. Rather, it is that our love for and faith in him make us eager to fulfill them.